Man Utd back away from Marko Arnautovic deal

Manchester United have decided that they will end their pursuit of Bologna forward Marko Arnautovic and instead pursue other targets.

The Red Devils’ interest in the Austrian striker emerged late on Sunday following their dismal 2-1 defeat at home to Brighton to kick off the new season.

However, having held talks with Bologna regarding a transfer, United have decided against a deal for the former West Ham man.

90min previously reported that the Serie A side had set a €15m price tag, but that proved to be a stumbling block for United who were unwilling to pay more than €10m for the 33-year-old. Bologna’s manager and director of football both publicly admitted on Monday that they expected Arnautovic to stay.

United will now look at other attacking options on the market, and one player they are considering is Watford winger Ismaila Sarr.

The Senegal international has been linked with a move away from Vicarage Road for the last couple of seasons. He has started their campaign back in the Championship following relegation in fine form, scoring from his own half in a 1-1 draw at West Brom on Monday.

While a deal for Arnautovic is off, United are still progressing with talks for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, with discussions with his mother Veronique scheduled in the next 24 hours.